A couple of months ago, I attended a storytelling festival in my old college town, and it was an engaging, creatively invigorating experience. Usually, this festival is held under a big tent on the shores of a picturesque lake, but remnants of a strong weather system cancelled those plans. Instead, the event was moved to an inside venue, but the power of storytelling was still on display.
A series of talented storytellers told every type of story imaginable. Some stories were funny, while others were serious. Some tellers waxed poetic about events from their past, and others entertained with fairytales and folklore. A couple of the performers combined music with stories.
It was truly a smorgasbord of creativity, and I was fascinated by the talent on display. Beyond that, I was inspired to work on my own stories, both written and oral. I even participated in the “open mic” portion and shared one of my pieces.
Good storytelling is universal and covers both areas. Writers are storytellers, whether they produce fiction or nonfiction. Engaging stories capture our imagination and keep us listening or reading.
I am a writer, but I have done my share of storytelling performances as well. Before my most recent performance, I prayed my audience would be entertained AND inspired. That may seem a strange thing to pray, but isn’t that our goal?
If you are a Christian/inspirational writer, you have a message to get across, but I think it helps if that message is entertaining. Many of the stories I heard at the festival were highly entertaining but had a strong message behind the smiles and laughs. That’s what I want in my stories, whether I’m telling them to a live audience or committing them to paper (or a computer screen) and then releasing them to unknown readers.
What’s your story? Whatever it is—tell it! Your audience is waiting.
Carlton Hughes, represented by Cyle Young of Hartline Literary, wears many hats. By day, he is a professor of communication. On Wednesday evenings and Sunday mornings, he serves as a children’s pastor. In his “spare time,” he is a freelance writer. Carlton is an empty-nesting dad and devoted husband who likes long walks on the beach, old sitcoms, and chocolate—all the chocolate. His work has been featured in Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Dating Game, The Wonders of Nature, Let the Earth Rejoice, Just Breathe, So God Made a Dog, and Everyday Grace for Men. His latest book is Adventures in Fatherhood, co-authored with Holland Webb
Storytelling has the power to touch people deep in their souls. I should know, as I have experienced the benefits of storytelling throughout my life.
When I was a little boy, I loved Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. I hung on Fred Rogers’ every word like he was talking directly to me. When the Trolley made its way to the Land of Make Believe, I was transported to uncharted areas of my imagination. I can still hear King Friday trying to rule in his pomposity, Henrietta Cat meowing her sweet messages, and Lady Elaine wreaking havoc.
As I got older, reading became my escape, and my favorite series was the Bobbsey Twins. As an only child, I reveled in the lives of the two sets of twins and their adventures as they solved mystery after mystery.
Throughout my life, storytelling in movies and music has blessed me immeasurably. I think of my favorite movie Up, which blesses me with its humorous yet touching story every time (I don’t watch it often, because it makes my eyes water, wink wink). Matthew West is my favorite singer/songwriter, and, as I listen to his stories put to music, I get the feeling he has been following me around and peeking in my windows. Good storytelling is relatable, and West is a master at that.
Every year, I have two annual events I love to attend: a storytelling festival in my old college town, and my own college’s fall arts/crafts festival, in which I coordinate . . . wait for it . . . the storytelling program! This year I helped write a grant to bring in two professional storytellers to our event, and I was blown away by their talent and their use of story to touch people.
Josh Goforth, one of our guest storytellers, tells stories of growing up in rural North Carolina, accentuating them with music. The guy can sing and play too many instruments to count, and he merges music and story effortlessly to make his audiences laugh and cry.
Tim Lowry, our other guest, is a native of my area and “returned home” to wow us with a variety of forms of storytelling, from personal narratives to renditions of classic stories. He, too, took us on an emotional ride, entertaining and educating us along the way.
Of course, Jesus Himself used earthly stories called parables to illustrate Heavenly ideas. The Prodigal Son, the Lost Sheep, the Good Samaritan—I believe Jesus knew we needed these illustrations to help us wrap our minds around His truths.
Storytelling takes many forms, and we can utilize the form (or forms) we specialize in to pass along powerful truths. What’s your story? And how are you going to tell it? Think about it, and then go tell it.
Carlton Hughes, represented by Cyle Young of Hartline Literary, wears many hats. By day, he is a professor of communication. On Wednesday evenings and Sunday mornings, he serves as a children’s pastor. In his “spare time,” he is a freelance writer. Carlton is an empty-nesting dad and devoted husband who likes long walks on the beach, old sitcoms, and chocolate—all the chocolate. His work has been featured in Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Dating Game, The Wonders of Nature, Let the Earth Rejoice, Just Breathe, So God Made a Dog, and Everyday Grace for Men. His latest book is Adventures in Fatherhood, co-authored with Holland Webb.
Recently, I reconnected with an old Christian writer friend on Facebook. We hadn’t seen each other in about a decade when we used to go to church together. She began asking me a lot of questions about screenwriting. She is interested in turning a couple of the books she’s written into movies.
Most writers feel that because they enjoy writing and telling stories, screenwriting is an easy task. Yes, all writers are storytellers, but not all storytellers are screenwriters. Below are different types of storytellers found in the writing community.
Authors/editors
Professional storytellers
Content writers
Screenwriters
Each of these niches has its own conventions and purposes. They may even have some similarities but they are different professions altogether, success in one doesn’t mean success in another; because each medium has its unique characteristics and technicalities. Deep inside most writers understand this.
This is why I have so many writers asked me how to write a screenplay. Not that I am an expert myself or claim to be one. I’ve just studied the conventions, techniques, and process of screenwriting for the last two decades. Still, there is no magic formula, approach, or secret to screenwriting.
Screenwriters can face the age-old dilemma of story versus structure just like most storytellers do. Most screenwriting coaches emphasize, “There are no screenwriting rules, but conventions and guidelines to help a story flow better.” Screenwriting coach Scott Myers explains that “structure is only half of the story.”
American theater producer and director George Abbott shares, “In the first act you get your hero up a tree. The second act, you throw rocks at him. For the third act you let him down.”
Structure Or Story?
Author and writer Steven James explains, “The beginning isn’t simply the first in a series of events, but the originating event of all that follows. The middle isn’t just the next event, but the story’s central struggle. And the ending isn’t just the last event, but the culminating event.”
For as long as I can remember, there has been a debate in literary circles about what is more important in writing—structure or story. My personal, unprofessional opinion is you can’t have one to the fullest without the other.
What I mean is, if you want to tell the best and clearest story, you need some form of structure. Legendary screenwriting professor Robert McKee explains,
“Structure is a selection of events from the characters’ life stories that is composed into a strategic sequence to arouse specific emotions and to express a specific view of life.”[1]
When writers over-focus on the “structure” the story ends up suffering: meaning the story does not flow naturally and can come off as being formulated. Structure should always make a story clearer, but not predictable. True screenwriters have learned how to use structure to tell a better and clearer story. Below are seven steps to writing a screenplay from the Pond5 blog:
Craft a logline
Write a treatment
Develop your characters
Plot and outline
Write a first draft
Step back and take a break
Rewrite
Notice the writer doesn’t mention any formulas or formats. The focus is more on getting the concept of your story on paper and then reworking it into a clear order. If you are still curious or worried about a screenplay format or structure there are plenty of books and resources you can purchase to learn the layout of a script, but never let structure kill the story inside of your head.
My first guide to screenwriting was The Screenwriters Bible, it is a great guide for learning the do’s and don’ts of screenwriting conventions. Always remember to keep your story clear and flowing.
Then you can choose a structure that complements your story.
“A whole [story] is that which has beginning, middle, and end. A beginning is that which is not itself necessarily after anything else, and which has naturally something else after it; an end is that which is naturally after something itself, either as its necessary or usual consequent, and with nothing else after it; and a middle, that which is by nature after one thing and has also another after it. A well-constructed Plot, therefore, cannot either begin or end at any point one likes; beginning and end in it must be of the kind just described.”
Dick Doherty explains, “When you get a story underway, refrain from interrupting the flow. Avoid digression. Don’t go parenthetical.” Don’t let structure kill your story!
Most writers understand basic story structure. Regardless of the type of writing you do, “story” will follow a pattern from point A to point B. The only difference is the timing and how you get from one to the other.
“Story structure helps guide your audience from the beginning to the end of your book by introducing characters and settings, setting up the conflict, developing the main plot points, and finally resolving that conflict. It also helps create tension, suspense, and surprise—essential components of almost any story.”
In the writing community, writers have a choice about how their story unfolds, below are three of the most common story structures used in storytelling.
Three act structure
Five act structure
Seven act structure
If you’re wondering what structure works best for screenwriting, it really depends on the type of story you’re telling, but the five-act structure is what I have found used in most of the screenplays I’ve read.
“Screenplay Structure Simplified: “Plot is critical, but how a writer ‘gets’ to plot is even more critical.”
Scott Myers
Whichever structure you choose, just be sure you tell a great story.
Martin Johnson survived a severe car accident with a (T.B.I.) Traumatic brain injury which left him legally blind and partially paralyzed on the left side. He is an award-winning Christian screenwriter who has recently finished his first Christian nonfiction book. Martin has spent the last nine years volunteering as an ambassador and promoter for Promise Keepers ministries. While speaking to local men’s ministries he shares his testimony. He explains The Jesus Paradigm and how following Jesus changes what matters most in our lives. Martin lives in a Georgia and connects with readers at MartinThomasJohnson.com and on Twitter at mtjohnson51.
Powerful stories make a strong impression on our audience. These stories bring change in our audience through the changes within the story themselves. Below are the common approaches to storytelling.
Verbal
Graphic
Cinematic
Cinematic storytelling is told through the reenactment (dramatization) of events on screen. It uses the conventions of film to tell a story through actors both visually and audibly.
“Don’t write about a character. Become that character, and then write your story.”
New York Times best-selling author, Ethan Canin
Screenwriting dramatizes a story in one of two ways, plot-driven or character-driven storytelling.
Character-Driven
Simply put, character-driven storytelling puts more emphasis on the characters (thoughts, arcs, and character changes). Ideally, the audience will be able to relate and find themselves in the story.
“There’s a magic to being present when you’re writing a character.”
Reid Carolin
This approach allows the audience to see a character’s flaws, fears, and desires. As you can guess, this will increase the impact of the message and make your overall story more powerful. Below are a few popular character-driven movies:
In each of the above examples, we can see the changes—internal or external—in the protagonists. Our goal is to connect with our audience and hopefully inspire them to change as well.
Robert McKee warns, “All stories are ‘character-driven.’ Event design and character design mirror each other. Character cannot be expressed in depth except through the design of story.” All stories revolve around our characters, but character-driven stories are more focused on the change within our characters during the storytelling process.
Our approach to storytelling can be determined by our goal of telling the story in the first place. Why do you want to tell these particular characters’ stories and what benefit will it be to them and our audience as well? Writers have to know their endgame—their purpose for telling a story.
Know Your Purpose
“It’s not until you really throw your character into the story that you can genuinely understand who they are.”
Oscar-nominated screenwriter and director, Elijah Bynum
Before you write your first word, know the purpose of your story. Storytelling is a form of communication, and we each have something unique and special to share. Perhaps it’s personal, cultural, or maybe a universal issue that will connect with others. Below are some common topics writers use in their storytelling:
Social issues (climate justice, health care, racial injustice, gun violence).
Love
Good versus evil
Perseverance
Hope against all odds
Inspirational stories
In my case, I choose to tell stories about characters with disabilities or special needs, how they change on their journey and how they affect the worlds in which they live within my stories. Your story’s message will direct your story, whether it’s plot-driven or character-driven storytelling.
Martin Johnson survived a severe car accident with a (T.B.I.) Traumatic brain injury which left him legally blind and partially paralyzed on the left side. He is an award-winning Christian screenwriter who has recently finished his first Christian nonfiction book. Martin has spent the last nine years volunteering as an ambassador and promoter for Promise Keepers ministries. While speaking to local men’s ministries he shares his testimony. He explains The Jesus Paradigm and how following Jesus changes what matters most in our lives. Martin lives in a Georgia and connects with readers at MartinThomasJonhson.com and on Twitter at mtjohnson51.
Recently, a local writer friend and I decided to do a script swap to read each other’s WIP. To be honest, I was a little afraid to let her look at my script and I believe the feeling was mutual since this was her first attempt at screenwriting. I’ve been there.
As writers, we are often protective of our work. Our projects represent our time, beliefs and we put all our heart into the work. Fear of rejection is part of human nature. We don’t want others to trifle with our art, dreams, or hearts.
But if we care about our stories, we need to be open to feedback from others. The temporary discomfort is worth it to help improve our stories and make them better. Be open to honest feedback about your writing
Negative feedback can be helpful in the long run.
Writing a story is a learning process.
Is easier for others to see the holes in our stories.
With that said, writers must know what screenwriting is and isn’t. We are writing a story only; we aren’t acting, directing, or producing the story. Those are other people’s jobs, we are just the writers and need to understand that screenwriting is a team effort.
Writers must learn to just tell the story and get out of the way for others to do their part in our storytelling because screenwriting is all about teamwork! Unfortunately, when writers attempt to write the first screenplay, they often cross the line. They attempt to tell other members of the team how to do their jobs by including directing and acting, and production cues into the narrative. Years ago I had to learn that screenwriting takes teamwork.
Teamwork!
The writer’s job is simply to write a cohesive, well flowing story and then get out of the way for the other team members to do their job. Screenwriting coach and producer David Trotter writes,
“Many writers who are new to the business believe that they must use fancy formatting techniques in order to get noticed by Asians and producers. Therefore they add arty editing directions, clever camera angles, truckloads of caps, and so on… Be judicious and keep your focus on the story and characters.”1
When readers, studios, or producers read a screenplay full of camera angles, artsy transitions, and special effects cues, it makes it harder to read the screenplay. In the end, it takes away from the actual story the screenwriter is trying to tell.
But when you stick to the story and characters, it makes your screenplay easier to read the story easier to follow. When the writer sticks to telling just the story, it enables the director to understand how to direct the story, it allows the actors to use their acting skills to bring our characters to life. And in the end, it will help the producers keep the film within the budget. The key to great storytelling is to tell a great story and then get out of the way. To illustrate the point look at the Marvel Avengers franchise. Each of the movies was written by screenwriters, but directed, and produced by other professionals.
Although they received great fanfare for directing the Infinity Wars saga, the Russo brothers had nothing to do with writing the screenplays, they were only paid to direct the movies.
Another example is my childhood favorite, the Star Wars Saga. Although he wrote and directed the very first film in the series, George Lucas had nothing else to do with writing or directing any of the other original films.
Disney now has all rights to the Star Wars franchise and can hire their stellar writers and actors to bring the characters George Lucas first created nearly a half-century ago to life. Lucas did his part, and now he has left the story to others in the business who can create new adventures and put everything together for a whole new generation of fans.
Put It All Together!
Although screenwriters write stories, it isn’t our job to bring them to life. As hard as it is to let go, once our script is sold or optioned, our babies have left the nest, and it’s up to other professionals to put it all together for us.
Studios
Producers
Directors
Actors
Production crew
Hopefully, now, it is easier to see how show business takes teamwork!
Martin Johnson survived a severe car accident with a (T.B.I.) Traumatic brain injury which left him legally blind and partially paralyzed on the left side. He is an award-winning Christian screenwriter who has recently finished his first Christian nonfiction book. Martin has spent the last nine years volunteering as an ambassador and promoter for Promise Keepers ministries. While speaking to local men’s ministries he shares his testimony. He explains The Jesus Paradigm and how following Jesus changes what matters most in our lives. Martin lives in a Georgia and connects with readers at MartinThomasJonhson.com and on Twitter at mtjohnson51.
I read this phrase on a social media post by author Angela Hunt, and it resonated with me. The more I think about it, “story” has been a part of my life since childhood.
I was an only child, so, when my cousins weren’t around, I had to entertain myself. I would spend hours in my room alone, acting out stories with my stuffed animals and action figures. I loved comic books and would often finish one and then dream up scenarios to continue the plotline. When my cousins were around, I often led our pretend adventures (one that involved us using my closet as the Batcave didn’t end well, but that’s a long, complicated story for another time).
My storytelling tendencies continued into my middle and high school years, as, when I was an eighth grader, I was asked to join the high school newspaper staff. I became editor as a sophomore and continued through to graduation. I also appeared in some plays along the way, as my outgoing (a.k.a. loud) nature did not go unnoticed.
When it came time for college, I decided to double-major in radio-tv broadcasting and print journalism. I already had a lot of experience with print, and I figured television would be a good outlet for my dramatic tendencies and storytelling. I was active with the college station, hosting talk shows, doing news reports, and serving as the weatherman. I still can’t tell a cold front from a cold snap, but it was fun at the time.
College graduation day came, and tv stations did not beat down my door. The audacity! Dan Rather had nothing to worry about.
I ended up going to graduate school and eventually became a college professor. Not the path I had planned, but, looking back, God knew what He was doing. The subjects I teach—Interpersonal Communication, Basic Public Speaking, Journalism—allow a “ham” like me to be the center of attention to tell lots of stories as they relate to the curriculum. Engaging with students through story has been a joy from day one.
God wasn’t quite through yet, though. Several years ago, He called me to write for Him, to tell His story in my unique, often wacky, way. Then, during the darker days of 2020 pandemic lockdown (during which my first book was published, by the way), God birthed something new, harking back to the dreams of my childhood and formative years. Since I couldn’t connect in person with the kids in my children’s ministry, I started doing videos and posting them on social media.
I developed some truly crazy characters who tell the stories of Scripture in their own unique way. I initially shared the videos on our church’s social media pages, but one day I shared one on my personal page. The response was phenomenal, something only God could do. My stories now reach as many adults as children, and my childhood “story dreams” have come true, in a totally different way than what I had planned.
God didn’t forget that only child with the overactive imagination. He hasn’t forgotten you, either. Just don’t use your closet as the Batcave.
Carlton Hughes, represented by Cyle Young of Hartline Literary, wears many hats. By day, he is a professor of communication. On Wednesday evenings and Sunday mornings, he serves as a children’s pastor. In his “spare time,” he is a freelance writer. Carlton is an empty-nesting dad and devoted husband who likes long walks on the beach, old sitcoms, and chocolate—all the chocolate. His work has been featured in Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Dating Game, The Wonders of Nature, Let the Earth Rejoice, Just Breathe, So God Made a Dog, and Everyday Grace for Men. His latest book is Adventures in Fatherhood, co-authored with Holland Webb.
Writers Chat, hosted by Jean Wise, Johnnie
Alexander, and Bethany Jett, is the show where we talk about all things
writing, by writers and for writers!
“Because talking about writing is more fun than actually doing it.”
Hollywood Storytelling with Zena Dell
Lowe
Zena
is an actress, director, producer, and writer. She joins Writers Chat to share
her insights on telling a story. If you want to write a screen play,
non-fiction, or fiction, this episode is packed with information and a must
see. Zena is an amazing storyteller and creates examples that will have you
leaning on the edge of your seat to hear what’s next. Many of live audience
thought this was worthy of the episode of the year.
Watch the June 11th replay.
Historical Fiction Panel
If you have thought about writing historical fiction, but weren’t sure about all the research that goes into such a novel, this episode is for you. Johnnie Alexander, Melissa Stroh, and Josephine Massaro (from Yahweh Sisterhood Book Club) comprise our panel and share a wealth of information with us. They discuss research and how to use what you find in your story in such a way that won’t bore your readers. This episode is full of practical ideas. Come check it out.
Critiquing is an important part of being a writer. Sometimes we are too close to catch mistakes and having a critique group or partner helps us sharper our writing skills. On today’s episode, the Writers Chat team will critique two pages submitted from different writers. The team shares their insight into the positives of these stories, as well as some things that need a little work. This episode is a good reminder of what to look for when critiquing someone’s story and could help you avoid common pitfalls. Check it out. You will surely be encouraged in your writing today.
Writers Chat
is hosted live each Tuesday for an hour starting at 10 AM CT / 11 AM ET on
Zoom. Here’s the permanent
Zoom room link.
Participants
mute their audio and video during the filming then we open up the room for
anyone who wishes to participate with our guests. The “After Party” is
fifteen-minutes of off-the-record sharing and conversation.
Additionally,
you can grow your network and add to the conversation by joining our Writers Chat Facebook
Group.
Roseanna White writes amazing historical fiction with complex plots, unique characters–ie family of reformed grifters in this series–and well-crafted writing. But then, Roseanna is a self-proclaimed word nerd who enjoys musing about the etymology of words. She explores the history of “the word of the week” on her blog at Writing Roseanna.
Curt Iles is a master storyteller who writes “memorable stories of the history, culture, and people of Louisiana’s Pineywoods region.” Curt’s great-great-great grandfather came to this area, known as No Man’s Land, from Ireland.
As a child, Curt sat by the fire listening to the grown-ups reminisce, and as a teen he began writing these stories in a journal given to him by an uncle.
We chatted so long, I divided the interview into two episodes.
The next Novelists Unwind Giveaway will be announced on Saturday, December 1, 2018 at novelistsunwind.com. Be sure to enter for your chance to win a print edition of an amazing inspirational novel.
Meet Johnnie
Johnnie Alexander creates characters you want to meet and imagines stories you won’t forget. Her award-winning debut novel, Where Treasure Hides, made the CBA bestseller list. She writes contemporaries, historicals, and cozy mysteries, serves on the executive boards of Serious Writer, Inc. and the Mid-South Christian Writers Conference, co-hosts an online show called Writers Chat, and interviews inspirational authors for Novelists Unwind. She also teaches at writers conferences and for Serious Writer Academy. Connect with her at www.johnnie-alexander.com and other social media sites via https://linktr.ee/johnniealexndr.
My critique group says my MG fiction is preachy. Now what?
First let me say that I love my critique group. I’m not writing about y’all. We’re solid.
Getting productive feedback on your work is a lifeline. It’s critical to have fresh eyes to review your words and point out where things are working, where they can be improved, and what should be thrown out.
Now, unless you’re a pastor, you probably don’t want people to react with “that chapter/section/story is a bit preachy.”
If your first response to this kind of criticism is like mine (i.e., hackles raised and shields up), may I share with you something I’ve learned that might ease the sting?
Many people feel a calling to write for kids because they want to share their love of Christ. As one of my sisters would say, “ain’t no shame in that.” It’s only natural for that love and enthusiasm with sharing the message seep into our writing (okay, maybe for some of us it’s less of a seep and more of a flood).
At the Blue Ridge Christian Writers Conference Children’s workshop, one of the faculty reminded us that our primary target audience is between eight and twelve years old. Our audience is soaked in a learning environment six to eight hours a day, five days a week.
This means they can smell a lesson from 500 yards away. If you come at them with teaching wrapped in a cute main character, they will put your book down.
Like us, kids read fiction to be entertained, escape their troubles, and explore the world. Who can blame them?
Do you have a lesson or a story?
Ask yourself – and honestly answer – if you are trying to impart a lesson or tell a story. Knowing your objective is half the battle. If your heart is telling you to teach children about Christ’s love, as important as that is – it’s not a story. If your heart has named a character who has a unique adventure, you have a story.
If you have a story, go back through your manuscript and find ways to let the story shine. Bring it to life with realistic characters, imperfect allies, obstacles to overcome and plenty of excitement. Doubt that it will be “Christian” enough? Don’t. Because you’re you and you love Christ, your world view will show up in the telling of it, I promise. And you never know how God is going to use your words.
Maybe you feel like you have less of a story and more of a lesson. That’s a great thing to know. If this is the case, writing a nonfiction book may bring you more success. In nonfiction, you still have freedom to use more direct language, cite more Scripture, conduct interviews and collect data that will bring your lesson home in a very real and accessible way for kids. Instead of trying to force a tale around a message, just bring the message.
Most importantly, when you receive feedback that shakes your gut a little bit, know that you’re not alone. We’ve all been there (multiple times, probably) and lived to tell the tale. Use it for good and know your Father sees you and is working for your benefit.
Oh- and if this post comes off a little preachy, know that I hear you and I’m working on it.
Kell McKinney earned a B.A. in journalism from the University of Oklahoma and an M.S. in documentary studies from the University of North Texas. She’s a part-time copywriter, double-time mom and wife, and spends every free minute writing and/or hunting for her car keys. Connect with her on Twitter @Kell_McK or kellmckinney.com.
As an English major in the 90s, I was excited to learn my craft and be creative. However, I was clueless about what to create. Then one day, I bought a book that changed how I viewed my passion for writing.
The late Bob Briner’s classic The Roaring Lambs challenged Christians to use their talents to create positive and redemptive art across the spectrum of entertainment: sports, music, art, television, and film. Briner called Hollywood a “Mission field!”[i]
Recently, I sat down with 30 year Hollywood veteran Brian Bird (The Case for Christ, When Calls The Heart) to talk about how the lambs (the church) can roar in this mission field.
Martin Johnson: I know you are a fan of the Roaring Lambs, how has the film industry changed since it came out in the 90s?
Brian Bird: Oh yes, love the book! Prior to the book, For much of the 20th century, I think Christians working in the arts were few and far between, with the exception of music. There were a handful of believers working in the film industry, but a lot of that activity was specifically on church films, small-time evangelistic church films. But there was not a real attempt to break into the mainstream audience with Christian films; for the most part, evangelicals were M.I.A.
Martin Johnson: You used an interesting word there, evangelicals. As a filmmaker, what does it mean to be an evangelical filmmaker?
Brian Bird: There are filmmakers who are Christians who make sermons on film. There are Christian filmmakers who don’t make specifically evangelistic films, and there are filmmakers who are evangelicals who don’t make Christian films. You can even be a non-believer and make a terrific evangelical film. It’s all about telling great stories.
Martin Johnson: Briner expressed how the church needs writers. What do you hope to accomplish at the end of the day?
Brian Bird: My personal mission is to tell stories that stir up cravings in people’s souls, make them want to know God—to be effective as I can be at communicating my Christian worldview through good story-telling, to tell stories that don’t beat people over the head, but, stir up soul cravings. To me those are the best kind of faith films. Sometimes evangelistic films can be neither good evangelism nor good filmmaking; because their intent from the beginning is propaganda. There are good uses for propaganda. Propaganda in the most generous sense of the world can be put to good use as evangelism. The Jesus films have been effective at that. A good example of that is The Jesus Film—very effective. Those kinds of films are good and effective, but that is not what I’ve been called to do. I’ve been called to just tell great, true, redemptive stories that are not there just to entertain, but to provoke hearts to greater self-reflection and get people talking about the water cooler. In my view, the story of Jesus and his work on the cross needs to be shared between two flesh and blood people having a conversation. Not by a picture on a wall.
Martin Johnson: What is the main roadblock keeping Christian film from being successful at the box office?
Brian Bird: Ourselves. . .the church! If evangelicals are going to make a difference in the giant media conversation going on across the world, we, have to pursue excellence in our crafts of communicating. The church must support the gifts of creative evangelicals when it does the message and the art can soar! During the Renaissance, the church supported all the great artists of that time and people like Michelangelo were able to strive for excellence because of that support. Art in humans is always a reflection of the creativity behind the creation of the universe. The Renaissance artists were trying to bring heaven to earth with their creations, as CS Lewis said… all art from men is an attempt to copy heaven. We are made in the image of our creator; it is in our DNA to create. This was evident in the Renaissance, the Reformation; the church stopped supporting the arts. The theology of the church began to view all art as worldly and considered it sinful. But that is so counterintuitive to the truth in the Bible. The view of art became worldly, it was considered sinful. God was the first writer … in the beginning was the Word (John 1:1–4). The Bible is full of references to the beauty and art in creation, and yet for several hundred years the church left art behind in favor of the “good enough principal.” We need to get back to pursuing excellence in Hollywood and that to me is the biggest obstacle facing us, the good enough principle. That’s where art has been relegated in the church and it has to stop—this attitude that art doesn’t have to be excellent, all it has to be is useful. We need to strive for excellence, not for our own glory—but for the glory of our creator, God. We can trust Him with our talents.
Brian Bird on the set of, “When Calls the Heart”
Martin Johnson: I’m glad you mentioned trusting God, Briner says that the lambs can trust their Shepherd.
Brian Bird: Throughout history, all art has been passed down from one generation to the next through a process called “Copy the Master.” In an art class, for example, the Master, or the teacher, is at the front of the room painting or sculpting, and the students are at their canvass. They copy the Master but bring themselves to the canvass in order to learn our art. Well, we are all in the class with the author of the universe—that’s quite a source to copy from. And we can trust our Master with every creative bone in our bodies.
Martin Johnson: Briner says art is a full-time ministry. What do you think?
Brian Bird: He was absolutely right; it is how we answer our God-given calling. Every person who finds Jesus needs to strive to become a minister out of the skills and talents God has gifted them with, both inside and outside the church.
Martin Johnson: Briner points out that part of our ministry is being the salt of the earth. Thus, for Christians to be roaring lambs in Hollywood we can’t just be just entertaining, we need to be ministers of the gospel.
Brian Bird We should be telling great stories, but they have to stir up soul cravings in people. We need to tell stories that help people realize there is more to life than what this world offers. Great stories have great messages. If they’re not entertaining though, they are not good stories. We have to do both. We have to tell stories that transfix our audiences; you have to keep your audience entertained so they can organically receive the meta-narrative or message, that is at the heart of your story.
Martin Johnson: In closing, what do you see the church doing to become the roaring lambs Briner described in his book?
Brian Bird: I think that is starting to happen. I think there’s a new renaissance beginning. I am witnessing it around me, in younger people that I mentor in filmmaking. I have this film coming out September 14th I executive produced called The Heart of Man and I shepherded a group of incredibly young talented filmmakers. I am so proud of them and proud of what we are making. I think it’s about all of us who are in this business encouraging one another to push for excellence, not to settle for just good enough, to practice the 10,000 -hour rule and to be bold. Some people who are born with a spark of genius need to put in their 10,000 hours in order to get really good at what they do. That’s how genius become experts. All of us are born with that spark because we are made in the image of the author of all things. But if we sit on our hands and don’t put in the time to become experts, we will never be the roaring lambs Bob Briner was hoping for.
[i] Briner, P (1993). The Roaring Lambs. Grand Rapids: Zondervan
Brian Bird “When Calls the Heart Devotion” with Michelle Cox
Martin is a forty-three-year-old award-winning Christian screenwriter who has recently finished his first Christian nonfiction book after three years of researching, editing and remembering.
While majoring in English, he walked away from the Christian faith to experience the grandeur and luster of college life. While dating, he delved into different spiritual beliefs—from Hinduism to Catholicism and Judaism.Martin’s journey took him on a journey for answers.
In March of 1997, Martin received his answer. Albeit, not the answer he wanted. Nearly dying in a severe car accident, he survived with a (T.B.I.) Traumatic brain injury which left him legally blind and partially paralyzed on the left side.
After enduring eleven months of humiliating rehabilitation and therapy, Martin found himself at the foot of the cross with a choice to make. It was then Martin realized to truly live, he had to die. Not physically but in every other area of his life. There could be no compromise.
Martin has spent the last nine years volunteering as an ambassador and promoter for Promise Keepers ministries. While speaking to local men’s ministries Martin shares his testimony. Martin explains The Jesus Paradigm and how following Jesus changes what matters most in our lives.
Every story begins at your Initial Stimulus – that spark of an idea that captured your imagination. The thing that got you excited and revved up. That initial flash of creativity you just knew would make for a great movie idea.
Initial Stimulus is also something much deeper though. Simply put, it’s your inspired connection to that basic story idea.
Having an inspired connection to your story idea is significant because inspiration is significant. It’s important to recognize that inspiration comes from passion, whereas motivation does not. When you’re motivated to do something you want to accomplish that objective and then move on.
Inspiration is much more profound than motivation because it stems from passion. As such, it causes you to personally invest in what you’re working on. To connect to it emotionally. In short, motivation can be fleeting, while passion always endures.
TYPES OF INITIAL STIMULUS
The Initial Stimulus can come to us in many different forms. It can be an intriguing character, like the dark side of Tyler Durden in Fight Club. It can be fascinating subject matter or event that interests you, such as the civil rights movement led by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in the film, Selma, or one woman’s inspiring activism portrayed in Erin Brockovich.
Or the Initial Stimulus can just be a simple “what if” that comes from the ether of your own imagination. What if a serial killer used the seven deadly sins as his modus operandi? The “what if” behind the film, Seven with Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman.
No matter how it comes to you though, it’s important to understand the psychological impact that the Initial Stimulus has on the overall creative process. Having an inspired connection to your story idea is crucial to story development.
Why? Because it’s the driving force behind why you want to tell a particular story. It’s the momentum that will sustain you throughout the lengthy process of developing and writing a feature length screenplay. And it’s also the thing that can cause your story to crash and burn, killing your character in the process.
THE PITFALL OF INITIAL STIMULUS
Having taught Screenwriting at the MFA level for almost two decades, as well as having professionally consulted on north of five-hundred screenplays and films, I can say that a pervasive mistake I see all too often is that the writer gets so excited about their Initial Stimulus, that they instantly jump in and start plotting.
Never stopping to first define the single most important building block of story – character. Character is the narrative cornerstone in building a screenplay with emotional resonance that an audience can connect with.
Jumping right in and plotting your story is the equivalent of eagerly hopping into your car to go somewhere cool and exciting… Only to have no idea where you’re going or how to get there.
It doesn’t make any sense. So why do screenwriters do this then? Two reasons.
One, because plotting a movie is one of the more creatively exciting parts of the entire story development process. It’s one of things that gets the artistic adrenaline pumping. It’s enjoyable to do.
Secondly, as people we tend to be vertical thinkers, so sequencing and creating order (or plotting) is something that is intuitive, it comes natural to us.
Think about it, if a person looks up at the stars at night, the first thing their mind will do is to form shapes and patterns out of the stars.
The reason being is, they’re intuitively trying to make order out of chaos. It’s called, Pareidolia, which is where the mind perceives a familiar pattern of something where none actually exists. This is actually hardwired in us as humans.
THE NEGATIVE EFFECT OF PLOTTING FIRST
This natural instinct of wanting to jump in and instantly create order by plotting our screenplay, well it ends up causing all sorts of narrative repercussions.
Most notably of course, we end up with un-compelling characters that are afterthoughts – ones that lack authenticity. Instead, they become broad characterizations that are devices solely needed to serve our plot. Human chess pieces being moved around in a story in order to oblige a plot’s end result. Which is hands down the quickest way to cut the life of your screenplay short.
Not to mention, by putting the cart (plot) before the horse (character), we often end up losing track of that inspired connection (Initial Stimulus) we originally had with the basic story idea to begin with!
All of this is why there are more unfinished screenplays than finished ones. More first drafts that never see the light of day than do. And more just plain bad spec scripts out there than good ones.
So as you begin to develop your story idea, always remember that once you have your Initial Stimulus in place… Stop!
Resist that urge to jump in and start plotting the story. Fight that feeling of wanting to instantly work on plot. Instead, first develop and define the key building block of all successful stories – character.
In doing so, you’ll be able to better craft a plot that has emotional resonance that an audience can connect with.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Tim Long is a produced screenwriter who has sold, optioned, and pitched projects at the studio level and has had original screenplays in development with Academy Award ® winning and nominated producers. Mr. Long is also a nationally recognized screenplay consultant, as well as a former Professor and Head of the MFA Screenwriting Program at FSU’s College of Motion Picture Arts, where he taught for almost two decades. He’s currently Founder of PARABLE, an innovative online screenwriting course.
Have you ever tried to tell your friends about an experience you had, but they didn’t give you the response you hoped for? Maybe they didn’t laugh when you gave the punchline of the story. You then tried to cover up your shame by saying, “You just had to be there.”
If we write our books in a shallow POV rather than in deep POV, we risk that same “cricket chirping” response from our audience. We’re narrating a story that could come across as much more powerful if we chose to instead invite the reader to experience it.
Deep POV is a way of showing rather than telling. It’s a writing technique that has grown in popularity over the past couple decades or so. When we write in deep POV, we’re giving our readers the opportunity to step into our protagonist’s shoes. They’ll walk through the pages of the story as if they themselves were the character.
If we can accomplish this, the setting will come to life. The journey that the protagonist takes will have more of an impact on the reader. Why? Because the reader wasn’t simply told about an experience our character had; they journeyed along with them.
Readers today–especially fans of YA fiction–search for these stories. They long to open a book and become transported into a different time and place. They want to forget about their surroundings, and even forget that they’re reading a book. They’re searching for stories that sweep them off their feet in an entertaining, thrilling, and emotional rollercoaster.
How can we, as authors, offer this kind of reading experience to our readers?
Avoid all traces of authorship. Resist the urge to tell the story. Engage all five senses. And when you write, step through the scene as if you are the character. This means you can only show the scene through their eyes. Everything must be filtered through your protagonist’s POV.
Here’s an example:
NOT Deep POV: Anna saw the bouquet of roses on the dining room table and smelled their sweet scent. Who brought these? she wondered.
Deep POV: Anna stepped into the kitchen, overtaken by a floral aroma. Where did that come from? The scent grew stronger as she peered into the dining room. A smile slid onto her lips. There it was. A bouquet of roses, tucked into a glass vase at the center of the table. Where could that have come from?
Notice how deep POV requires more words. If we want to offer this experience to our readers, it will require more work. Showing a scene almost always requires more words. But the payoff is worth it.
In the example that isn’t written in deep POV, the words “saw”, “smelled”, and “wondered” brings the reader out of Anna’s POV. It tells the audience what happened, yes—but it does so in a narrative form.
This is the difference between telling a friend about a scene from a movie and letting them watch it for themself.
When writing in shallow POV, we risk the scene from coming to life in the reader’s imagination. We risk not giving our readers the opportunity to build a strong connection with our protagonist.
You might say, “Books weren’t always written in deep POV, yet people still enjoyed them. Why can’t I write my book in shallow POV, too?”
Think of it this way: Movies weren’t always filmed in color. Yet, the use of color in today’s films brings scenes to life. It provides an even deeper sense of realism and escapism. Why use tools of the past when we’ve been given far more powerful tools to tell our story?
If you want your book to resonate with today’s reader, and if you want to sell your book to an agent/publisher, I recommend utilizing this deep POV writing technique. Most agents and publishers today will reject or ask for a revision if a manuscript is written in shallow POV.
No, this isn’t an easy task to accomplish. It requires far more work. But you’re painting color to a black-and-white story. You’re adding “scratch and sniff” pages to your book. The result? Your readers will be brought deeper into the heart, mind, and emotions of your POV character.
The motivations of your protagonist will become more clear. The character ARC, more realistic. And when your protagonist reaches his/her “epiphany moment” at the end of the story, so will your reader. Thus, the theme of your story will have far more impact to your readers than if it were written in shallow POV.
So if you can accomplish this—if you write your story in deep POV—you won’t have to risk the “cricket chirping” response. You won’t have to tell your readers, “You just had to be there.”
Because they were there. They lived it. You wrote a book that entertained, provided escapism, tapped into emotions.
And as writers, shouldn’t that be our ultimate goal of storytelling anyway?
What’s your opinion of deep POV? Have you tried to write a story that utilizes this technique? Share your thoughts in the comments!
[bctt tweet=”What is Deep POV, and why is It Important? @TessaEmilyHall #amwriting #writerslife” via=”no”]
What is it about a story that makes it compelling? Is it the characters? Is it the plot? Is it the element of surprise? Is it the challenges? Is it danger? I submit, it’s all of them, skillfully put together, woven like a tapestry to make an impression on our minds and in our hearts.
